Folding table



J. KOVATS FOLDING TABLE Sept. 17, 1940.

Filed June 21, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 |NVENTOR Jaim Kauai; fl

ATTOR Patented Sept. 17, 1940 I 2,215,006

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING TABLE John Kovats, Fairfield, G enn.

Application June 21, 1938, Serial No. 214,867

10 Claims. (Cl; 311-85) This invention relates to folding tables and hold the same in engagement in such position more particularly to an improved hinge connecuntil manually actuated to release the holding tion for attaching the supporting foldable legs means.

to the table top including cooperating means car- The means for holding the legs in engagement Ii ried thereby for positively holding the legs in the with the plurality of holding means of the hinge fully extended position. support are identical, which permits of economy Heretofore, it has been customary to provide of manufacture and time in fabricating a table. many articles of furniture, and especially card Furthermore, this construction permits the pluor game tables, with folding legs so that the rality of holding means associated with each leg tables, when not in use, could be folded and con to be simultaneously released, thus simplifying l0 veniently stored. It has been diflicult, however, the manual manipulation of the table legs when it to devise a hinge connection which would be of is desired to collapse the table for the purpose such construction as to render the manipulaof storage. tion of the leg of the table to either folded or Another feature of the present invention is the extended position comparatively simple and atprovision of actuating mechanism for conjoint 15 tended with little exertion, and also rigidly supmovement of diagonally opposed legs mounted on port the table when in use. To overcome this the underside of the table top. The means for difficulty, some foldingleg structures have been mounting the actuating mechanism, in addition developed with looking devices to prevent moveto the operating function, also serves to strengthment of the legs when extended, but these prior en the table top. The actuating mechanism is so v20 constructions have had the disadvantage of necesdisposed relative to the diagonally opposed legs sitating considerable manual exertion both to that manual actuation of one leg through the lock the legs in the extended position and to unoperation of the actuating mechanism causes a lock the same when it was desired to collapse release of the plurality of the positive holding the table for storage purposes. means of the diagonally opposed leg, so that the 25 ,Furthermore, even though the legs might be opposed leg will follow the actuated leg during locked against accidental collapse when in the movements of the latter.

extended position, these prior constructions did Other features and advantages of the invennot insure that the pivotal connection between tion will hereinafter appear.

the legs and table top would be immobile, and In the drawings: 30 these tables in many instances were not rigid in Figure l is a bottom plan view of the table showing two of the interconnected legs in a It is an object of the present invention to profolded position and the remaining two legs in a vide an improved hinge connection which not fully extended position.

35. only serves to maintain the legs in the ex- Fig. 2 is an enlarged f a entary bottom plan tended position but effectively braces the legs as View of one of the corners of the table showing well so that the table, whenset up for use, is the leg in fully extended position with the holdextremely rigid. ing means effective.

The present invention obviates the difficulties 3 is a l r w w g t e position of 40 of the constructions heretofore proposed by prothe leg and the holding means therefor, W en the viding a hinge support for the legs which supports Same a e released by movement of e leg the same against movement when fully extended in t e dlrectlon 0 the three arrows.

for use. The holding means, as herein disclosed, Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective View looking form a part of the hinge support and are so disat the hinge support of the leg in the direction posed relative to the pivot pin of the hinge that of the arrow of Fig. 1. 45 the leg is held against movement by positive Fig. 5 is an elevational viewv of the hinge supmeans acting on opposite sides of the pivot. This port of the leg with a portion of the same broken construction not only prevents pivotal movement away to illustrate one of the locking means emof the legs, but also braces the same and insures ployed.

an immobile connection between the pivoted legs Fig. 6 is an elevational view, partly in sec- 5 and the table top. Means carried by the hinge tion, of the hinge support of the leg. resiliently acting against the legs, automatically This invention is adapted for tables for varimove the same into engagement with the posious types, but is especially intended for use on tive holding means of the hinge support as the what are commonly known as card tables in legs approach the fully extended position, and which the legs are foldable against the under- 55 side of the table top so that the table may be compactly folded and stored in a minimum of space, and the invention is, therefore, shown in the drawings as applied to this type of table.

In the preferred form of the invention, the table comprises a suitable marginal frame it of any desired shape and may be, as herein shown, substantially square. The frame, preferably, is notched as at H to receive a suitable table top 112 of the same shape as the frame, which is secured thereto by any conventional means desired. The table top l2 may be of any material, such as wood or fiber board, and may be finished or covered with some suitable material on the top or normally exposed surface thereof. The table is provided at each corner with a supporting leg l3, which is pivotally secured to the table by means of a hinge support so as to fold or swing against the underside thereof. The legs, as they are all mounted in thesame manner, each swing in the same direction in relation to the periphery of the table from their individual corners and lie substantially parallel with the individual members of the frame when they are folded against the underside of the table top.

As the means for mounting each leg is identical as that for mounting each of the other legs, one set of dies may be used for making all the mountings, and they are, therefore, each interchangeable, and, for the sake of brevity, only one of the mountings will be described in detail.

Each leg !3, preferably, is secured by studs IE to a metal U-shaped plate It provided with a barreled portion ll preferably wider than the width of the leg and extending beyond the top end face of the leg adapted to accommodate a hinge pin I8.

A member [9, disposed in a corner formed by adjoining ends of the members of the marginal frame It, comprises a metallic substantially boxlike bracket having a base 20 engaging the underside of the table top, a long side member 2|, and two comparatively shorted side members 22 and 23. The members 2i and 22 fit flat against the inner sides of the adjoining members of the frame ID to be fastened thereto with screws 24. Preferably, wood screws are used which pass through holes provided therefor in the walls 21 and 22, and, when tightened, pull the latter securely against the frame members.

This arrangement is such that the bracket serves to brace the frame members and effectively prevents them from relative spreading.

The walls 22 and 23 are provided with apertures to receive the opposite ends of the pin l8 carried by the barrel portion ll of the plate IE to complete the pivotal connection. It will be now understood that the width of the barrel portion H is made wide in order to provide a substantially rigid connection which prevents the plate 55 and the leg carried thereby from tilting or wobbling longitudinally relative to the pin. This wide spaced support makes it possible to manufacture the parts without maintaining close manufacturing tolerances and thereby alsofacilitates the assembling operations of the table.

A coiled spring 25, disposed about the pin [3, is positioned between the barrel portion of the plate l6 and the wall 23 of the bracket, and is of sufficient strength to normally urge the leg to a position abutting the member 22 of the bracket.

To brace and securely hold the leg in the extended position, the side member 22 at the free end thereof terminates in a laterally offset portion 26 which, together with lug 21 lanced therefrom, forms a channel 28 adapted to receive the distended portion of the plate It. The channel 28, as best shown in Fig. 2, is substantially the same width as the length of one leg of the U-shaped plate !6, so that the leg is positively held against pivotal movement about the pin when in the stopped position, as shown by the above-referred to figure. This construction, as the channel is adapted to receive a substantial part of the plate It, will also tend to brace the leg and thereby obviate any tendency of the leg to wobble in the supporting position. It will be understood that the spring 25 maintains the plate l and the leg carried thereby in the stopped position until manually released therefrom. The leg may be quickly and conveniently folded, however, by simply exerting a small thrust against the side of same so as to move the barreled portion 11 of the plate i6 longitudinally of the pin l8 against the action of the spring 25. It will be seen that the leg will be free to pivot about the pin 58 as the plate 36 is freed from the holding engagement of the walls of the channel and may be moved to the folded position against the underside of the top.

To permit a more convenient operation of the table, the diagonally opposed legs of the same are, preferably, as herein shown, interconnected for simultaneous movement to and from the folded and extended position. To this end, there are provided four substantially radially extended single links 29 formed for lightness and strength of channel metal strips and flattened to spatulate form at opposite ends. The outer end of each link 29 is pivotally secured to a U-shaped bracket 30 preferably secured to the side of each leg l3 opposite the plate it by studs 3! and the inner end thereof is pivotally connected to a rocker mechanism 32 secured centrally to the underside of the table top. The rocker mechanism 32, as shown by Fig. 1, comprises a wood block 33 and an overlying metal wear plate 34 having secured thereto, by means of a centrally located stud 35, a pair of rocker arms 3@3"i, each adapted to rotate about the stud 35 independently of the other. The opposite ends of each arm are preferably provided with suitable hook-like projections 33 adapted to engage apertures formed in the spatulate inner ends of the links. The wood block 33, which may be glued to the underside of the table top, tends to stiffen and reinforce the same which, when formed of extreme light material, might otherwise tend to buckle.

It will be seen,'referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, that each link has an end pivotally secured to a leg and the opposite end thereof secured to the end of one of the rocker arms. The links are so disposed that a "pair of the same interconnect diagonally disposed legs through one of the rocker arms. It will now be apparent that, through the links and rocker arm, movement of one leg of a diagonally disposed pair will impart a corresponding movement to the other. In use, when it is desired to move the legs of the table to the extended position, it is only necessary to grasp two of the legs and move the same to the fully extended position, the remaining two legs of the table, as will now be understood, will follow the actuated legs into the extended position.

It will be seen that, as the legs approach the fully extended position, the springs 25 will urge the same into the normal position when extended, causing engagement of the holding means hereinbefore described.

To insure an even greater rigidity to the table in use, and to more e'lfectively brace the legsadditional means associated with the bracket 3!) have been provided for positively holding the legs against movement. For this purpose, referring now to Fig. 4, a lug 38 lanced from the side member 2! of the bracket is so disposed as to engage a kerf or slot as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6,

formed in an elongated leg of the bracket 3E when the leg is in its normal position when fully extended. The bracket 3E it will be seen, is held in stopped engagement with the lug 39 by the spring 25, so that, although two means are provided for positively holding the legs extended, the manufacturing costs of the table have not been materially increased. This construction also permits the two means to be released simultaneously, thus greatly simplifying the manual manipulation necessary to collapse the table for storage purposes.

When it is desired to collapse the table, one of the legs may be grasped and, by imparting a lateral thrust thereto, the leg can be moved against the action of the spring to a position wherein the plate i6 and bracket 36 are no longer stopped from pivotal movement, and the leg may be pivotally moved toward its closed position. The leg, diagonally opposed from the actuated leg, will be also collapsed, due to the interconnecting links and rocker arm. The interconnected leg, although securely held against pivotal movement about the pin, is yet free to move longitudinally of the same, and, as should be clearly seen, the leg, being free to move in one direction, will move in that direction when the link exerts a pulling force on the leg diagonal to the path of free movement. The remaining two legs are collapsed in the same manner, and it is not thought necessary to again explain the folding operation of these legs.

In use, it will be seen that the table is extremely rigid, for each leg is rigidly held against movement when the legs are in the fully extended position by stop means positive in action disposed on opposite sides of the pivotal pin. The table, although extremely rigid in the fully extended position, yet is capable of being quickly and easily collapsed so that the legs underlie the top memher and can be stored in a minimum of space.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. In a folding table, a bracket for attachment to the corner of the table; means attachable to 2, eg for pivotally moving the leg about said bracket including a plate and a hinge pin associated therewith carried by said bracket; a bracket carried by the leg; link means having an end pivotally secured to said last-named bracket interconnecting diagonally opposed legs of said table for conjoint movement; a plurality of positive step means carried by said table bracket disposed on opposite sides of the hinge pin for engaging the plate and bracket carried by the leg for holding the same against pivotal movement; and means for urging said plate and bracket into engagement with said stop means.

2. In a folding table of the type described, comprising hinge means for pivotally connecting a plurality of legs to said table comprising brackets for attachment to the corners thereof; means attachable to a side face of each leg including a plate having a barreled portion adapted to receive a hinge pin carried by each bracket; brackets secured to the face of each leg opposite said plates; diagonally disposed link means interconnecting diagonally opposed legs for conjoint movement, each having an end thereof secured to said last-named brackets; and stop means carried by each table bracket for engagement with the oppositely disposed plate and bracket carried by each leg for preventing pivotal movement of the same when fully extended.

3. In a folding table of the type described, comprising hinge means for pivotally connecting a plurality of legs to said table comprising brackets for attachment to the corners thereof; means attachable to a side face of each leg including a plate having a barreled portion adapted to receive a hinge pin carried by each bracket; brackets secured to the face of each leg opposite said plates; diagonally disposed link means interconnecting diagonally opposed legs for conjoint movement, each having an end thereof secured to said last-named brackets; and stop means carried by each table bracket for engagement with the oppositely disposed plate and bracket carried by each leg for preventing pivotal movement of the same when fully extended, at least one of said means comprising a channel-shaped member formed integral with each table bracket for receiving an edge of the plate carried by a leg.

4:. In a folding table of the type described, comprising hinge means for pivotally connecting a plurality of legs to said table comprising brackets for attachment to the corners thereof; means attachable to a side face of each leg ineluding a plate having a barreled portion adapted tov receive a hinge pin carried by each bracket,

each leg having a limited sliding movement longitudinally of said pin; brackets secured to the face of each leg opposite said plates; diagonally disposed link means interconnecting diagonally opposed legs for conjoint movement, each having an end thereof secured to said last-named brackets; and stop means carried by each table bracket for engagement with the oppositely diseach leg and a lug lanced from said table bracket insertable within a slot provided in the bracket secured to the opposite face of each leg.

5. A leg actuating mechanism for a folding table including a bracket member for attachment to the corners thereof; means attachable to each supporting leg including a hinge pin for pivotally moving the same about said bracket, said means having a limited movement longitudinally of the pin; stop means carried by each bracket cooperating with said means when the same has been moved longitudinally of the pin to the one limit of movement thereof for holding each leg when fully extended against pivotal movement about its associated pin; and diagonally disposed link means carried by the underside of said table interconnecting diagonally opposed legs for conjoint movement to and from the extended and folded positions, said link means adapted upon manual release of the holding means of one leg of an interconnected pair to cause a longitudinal movement of the associated leg relative to its respective pin whereby the stop means of that leg are rendered inoperative so that the connected Q leg may follow the movement of the actuated leg. 6. In a folding table, a bracket for attachment to the corner of the table; means attachable to a leg for pivotally moving the leg about said bracket including a plate and a hinge pin asso- LQ ciated therewith carried by said bracket; a bracket carried by the leg; link means having an end pivotally secured to said lastnamed bracket interconnecting diagonally opposed legs of said table for conjoint movement; and a plurality of stop means carried by said table bracket disposed on opposite sides of the hinge pin for engaging the plate and bracket carried by the leg for holding the same against pivotal movement, said link means adapted upon manual release of "1 3 the holding means of one leg of an interconnected pair to cause a longitudinal movement of the associated leg relative to the pin of said associated leg whereby the stop means of that leg are rendered inoperative so that the connected leg may follow the movement or" the actuated leg.

7. In a folding table, the combination of a rectangular table top, four legs; means for hinging the legs on the table top at the corners thereof for movement to and from extended and folded positions including four brackets carried by the table, one bracket at each corner of the table; means attachable to each leg adapted to receive a hinge pin carried by each bracket, each leg when extended is adapted to occupy alternate positions relative to its bracket and being movable longitudinally of its pin from one position to the other; means for resiliently urging each leg to one of the alternate positions; means for holding the legs against pivotal movement when in ex- (0 tended position; and link means carried by the underside of said table top interconnecting a plurality of legs for conjoint movement upon the manual actuation of one of said legs, said link means causing the interconnected legs to move 45 longitudinally of their pins to the other of the alternate positions and then to folded position, when the manually actuated leg is moved to folded position. H 8. In a folding table, a table top; a plurality of legs for said table top; means for securing said "legs to said table top for pivotal movement to extended and folded positions, said means including 'a hinge pin for each leg about which each leg may be pivotally moved; means for moving each 55 leg longitudinally of its pin when the leg is pivotally moved to the extended position and for holding the leg in one of alternate positions on said pin; means for holding said leg against pivotal movement when in said last-named position; and means carried by said top interconnecting a plurality of legs for conjoint movement to their folded position upon the manual actuation of one leg longitudinally of its pin-to the other of its alternate positions then pivotally to the folded position, the last-named means upon movement of; the actuated leg to the folded position causing said interconnected legs to move longitudinally of their respective pins and then pivotally about their pins to their folded position. 9. In a folding table of the type described, hinge means for pivotally connecting a plurality of legs to said table comprising brackets for attachment to the corners thereof; means attachable to a side face of each leg including a plate having a portion adapted to receive a hinge pin carried by each bracket, each leg when extended is adapted to occupy alternate positions relative to its bracket and being movable longitudinally of its pin from one position to the other means carried by each bracket and cooperating with each leg to lock each leg in the extended position when the legs are moved longitudinally of the pins to the one limit of movement thereof; and link means carried by the underside of said table interconnecting a plurality of legs for conjoint movement to the folded position upon the manual actuation of one leg to move it longitudinally of its pin to the other limit of movement thereof and then to its folded position, the movement of the actuated leg to the folded position causing the interconnected legs to move longitudinally of their pins to the other of the alternate positions and thence to folded position.

10. In a folding table, a table top; a plurality of legs for supporting said top; means for hinging the legs on the table top at the corners thereof for movement to and from extended and folded positions including a hinge pin about which each leg may pivot and having a limited movement longitudinally thereof when in the extended position; automatic means for moving each leg longitudinally of its pin to one of alternate positions when the same is pivotally moved to extended position; means for holding each leg against pivotal movement about its pin when automatically moved to said alternate position; and link means carried by the underside of said table interconnecting diagonally opposite legs for conjoint movement, said link means operative to cause a leg to follow the movement of a diagonally opposite leg when. the same is manually moved longitudinally of its pin to free it from said holding means and then pivotally about its pin to the folded position.

JOHN KOVATS. 

